Cooling system for internalcombustion engines



r I I I l I l l I L n 0 m TluuL a I m n u n W. j n n n T W I ll 1 5 a W u "11-1% L F -:I. w-- h fi w L i a H H L R R l E w M w W 5 s 2 May 7, 1946.

COOLING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Patented May 7, 1946 COOLING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINES Wellington W. Lockport, N. Y. Application November 27,1942, Serial No. 467,144

18 Claims.

This invention relates to a cooling system for motors, more particularly motors of the internal combustion engine type, and has'for its object to provide a construction and a system which are more efilcient in operation than those heretofore proposed.

With this and other objects in view the invention resides in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts as will be disclosed more fully hereinafter and particularly covered by'the claims.

For the purpose of illustration only, such a cooling system is herein illustrated in the single figure of drawing and as applied to an internal combustion engine.

In the drawing the numeral 2 indicates generally a radiator, preferably of the cross-flow type, wherein substantially horizontal tubes 3 are provided and which terminate at their ends in open communication with vertically disposed passages 4 and 5, with the usual heat-conducting fins indicated generally by the numeral 6 disposed about said tubes ior conducting the heat from the cooling fluid within the tubes to the air which is permitted to pass through the radiator in the well known manner in constructions of this type.

An engine cylinder block is generally identified by the numeral 1, provided with the cooling jacket B within and through which the cooling fluid is adapted to be circulated by the pump 9 operated by the engine, the cooling fluid leaving the jacket through the pipe connection I0, entering the vertical passage 5 of the radiator, passing through the tubes 3 to the other vertical passage t of the radiator, returning from the bottom of the radiator to the pump by the pipe connection ii. A thermostatic device l2 may be disposed in the pipe connection I between the engine and the radiator.

A tank l with a suitable capp d filler opening it is provided, said tank at its bottom provided with a pipe connection I! to the cooling jacket of the engine, said tank being of a capacity to establish a reservoir of the cooling fluid, in the amount of the capacity of said tank which is of a constant quantity. The tank is disposed relative the engine so that when the tank is completely filled, the cooling fluid will also completely fill the cooling jacket of the engine as well as the pipe connection Ill between the engine and the radiator. Any suitable means for supporting the tank may be employed, there being shown as an example, the standards I8 and I9 to which the tank may be secured as by the bolts 20, said standards being of a vertical extent such that the tank may be secured thereto at different elevations for a purpose as will be disclosed later.

The top of the passage 5 of the radiator is closed as indicated, but the top of the other passage 4 thereof is connected as by the pipe 25 to the top of the tank 15 not only to equalize the pressure in the radiator and tank, but to provide .a conduit for any heated vapors of the cooling fluid that might pass from the top of the radiator to the tank, such vapors being condensed upon contact with the cooling fluid of lower temperature in the tank. A vent 26 is provided at the top of the tank at a side thereof opposite to the connection of pipe 25 with said tank but, to prevent undesired escape from the system of the air or vapors through said vent, a depending bafiie 21 is provided within the tank intermediate the pipe 25 and said vent. The flow of cooling fluid, air and/or vapors is indicated in the drawing by the arrows and it will be understood from the foregoing description that this cooling system is a closed system with the single exception of the vent 26-, and that said vent is practically sealed by virtue of the fact that the level of the cooling fluid within the tank is always above the lower edge of the baflle 21, whereby said vent operates solely to equalize pressures in the system. Also it will be understood that the cooling circuit will be filled with the cooling fluid to the level of the cooling fluid in the tank, regardless of climatic conditions and/or the operating load on the engine.

In the case of an automobile, the average cooling system contains about sixteen quarts of cooling fluid, and if this capacity is substantially reduced then the cooling system will be erratic and unreliable in operation unless means are provided to maintain constant the level of the cooling fluid in the system. It is desirable to reduce the cooling fluid in the cooling circuit so that the engine will attain its correct working temperature in a minimum of time. By this invention the cooling fluid in the cooling circuit may be reduced from sixteen quarts to about two quarts, and this will result in a reduction of the time required for the engine to attain its correct working temperature; about fourteen quarts of the cooling fluid will be. retained in the tank l5 and automatically fed through the pipe connection I! to the cooling circuit as required.

Under different climatic conditions it is desirable to change the amount of the active surface of the radiator and, according to this invention, such active surface is automatically controlled by the location of the tank [5. .If a radiator of conventional design is equipped with a thermostat and filled with water (as the cooling fluid) the water will freeze in winter when the motor is working, due to the radiator surface being oversize. According to this invention the amount of the active surface of the radiator, that is in operation, is automatically predetermined, and the system will work satisfactorily with only water in the system in winter when the motor is working.

Under certain climatic conditions it is desirable to have a part of the radiator act as a condenser for evaporated non-freezing cooling fluids and, by this invention, this is accomplished automatically by maintaining the tank [5 at a predetermined elevation. If the engine is operated under a heavy load and then stopped, the evaporated cooling fluid, in heretofore known types of cooling systems, will be lost from the system unless means are provided to condense the vapors, and by this invention the upper portion of the radiator as well as the relatively cooler fluid in th tank l5 will cause the condensation of such vapors.

As indicated in the drawing, the tank i5 is capable of being disposed at different elevations, it being understood that any means may be provided for changing the elevation of said tank. For simplicity of illustration, the tank is shown only in two different elevations, the lowermost elevation being indicated in solid lines, and the uppermost elevation being indicated in dotted lines. Such lowermost elevation is particularly advantageous in winter, with a minimum of liquid cooling fluid passing through the radiator, but as in summer the uppermost elevation of the tank is desired in order to bring into operation substantially the entire active surface of the radiator, the liquid levels in the cooling system, at these extreme elevations of the tank, being represented in the drawing by the dashed lines and the legends associated therewith.

From the foregoing disclosure it will thus be understood that by this invention there is provided a cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling circuit for the cooling fluid, and a supply of the cooling fluid, which supply may be adjusted or changed in elevation to provide difierent levels as desired in the cooling circuit of the cooling fluid to meet different operating conditions of the engine. The cooling circuit comprises the engine jacket, the radiator and the connections therebetween by which the cooling fluid may circulate therebetween, regardless of how the cooling fluid is circulated.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts constituting the apparatus, as well as vary the steps and combinations of steps constituting the method of cooling, without depart ing from the spirit of thi invention, wherefore it is desired not to be limited to the exact foregoing disclosure except as may be required by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling jacket, comprising a radiator, a pump, and fluid-conducting connections between said jacket, said radiator and said pump for establishing a cooling circuit, a reservoir of cooling fluid in fluid-conducting communication with the cooling circuit, the level of the fluid in the reservoir determining the level of the fluid in the cooling circuit, and means for venting the system at the coldest portion thereof,

2. A cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling jacket, comprising a radiator, a pump, and fluid-conducting connections between said jacket, said radiator and said pump for establishing a cooling circuit, a reservoir of cooling fluid in fluid-conducting communication with the cooling circuit, said reservoir provided with means by which the fluid is admitted to the system, the level of the fluid in the reservoir determining the level of the fluid in the cooling circuit, and means for changing the elevation of said reservoir.

3. A cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling jacket, comprising a radiator, a pump, and fluid-conducting connections between said jacket, said radiator and said pump for establishing a cooling circuit, a reservoir of cooling fluid in fluid-conducting communication with the cooling circuit, the level of the fluid in the reservoir determining the level of the fluid in the cooling circuit, and a connection between an upper portion of said radiator and said reservoir for conducting vapors for condensation in said reservoir.

4. A cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling jacket, comprising a radiator, a pump, and fluid-conducting connections between said jacket, said radiator and said pump for establishing a cooling circuit, a reservoir of cooling fluid in fluid-conducting communication with the cooling circuit, the level of the fluid in the reservoir determinin the level of the fluid in the cooling circuit, means for changing the elevation of said reservoir, and a connection between an upper portion of said radiator and said reservoir for conducting vapors for condensation in said reservoir.

5. In a fluid sealed cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with'a cooling circuit for the cooling fluid, the combination of a tank for holding a quantity of the cooling fluid, said tank in fluid-conductin relation with the cooling circuit and provided with a filler opening for the cooling fluid, and means for changing the elevation of said tank in accordance with the level of the cooling fluid desired in the cooling circuit.

6. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling circuit for the cooling fluid, the combination of a tank for holding a quantity of the cooling fluid, said tank in fluid-conducting relation with the cooling circuit, means for changing the elevation of said tank in accordance with the level of the cooling fluid desired in the cooling circuit, and a vaporconducting connection from the cooling circuit to said tank,

7. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling circuit for the cooling fluid, the combination of a tank for holding a quantity of the cooling fluid, said tank in fluid-conducting relation with the cooling circuit, a vapor-conducting connection from the cooling circuit to said tank, a vent to said tank, and an imperforate baille disposed in said tank intermediate the vapor-conducting connection and said vent.

8. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling circuit for the cooling fluid, the combination of a tank for holding a quantity of the cooling fluid, said tank in fluid-conducting relation with the cooling circult and provided with a filler opening for the ,cooling fluid, the ratio of the fluid capacities of ing the elevation of said tank to bring said flller opening to the level of the cooling fluid desired in the cooling circuit.

9. In a fluid sealed cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling circuit for the cooling fluid, the combination of a tank for holding a quantity of the cooling fluid, said tankin fluid-conducting relation with the cooling circuit and provided with a flller opening for the cooling fluid, the ratio of the fluid capacities of the cooling circuit and said tank being as great as one to seven respectively, and means for changing the elevation of said tank to bring said filler opening to the level of the cooling fluid desired in the cooling circuit.

10. A cooling system for an internal combustion engine comprising a cooling circuit for the engine cooling fluid, and a vertically adjustable tank in fluid-conducting relation with said cooling circuit, said tank constituting the means for supplying said circuit with a cooling fluid, whereby the level of the cooling fluid in said circuit may be governed by the adjusted position of said tank.

11. The method of cooling an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling circuit through which a cooling fluid may be circulated, which comprises establishing a reservoir of the cooling fluid through which such circuit is supplied, and adjusting the elevation of such reservoir in accordance with the level of the cooling fluid desired in such circuit.

12. The method of cooling an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling circuit through which a cooling fluid may be circulated, which comprises establishing a reservoir of the cooling fluid in fluid communication with such circuit, adjusting the elevation of such reservoir in accordance with the level oi the cooling fluid desired in such circuit, and venting the system at the coldest portion thereof.

13. A cooling system for an internal combustion engine provided with a cooling jacket, comprising a radiator and fluid-conducting connections between said jacket and said radiator for establishing a cooling circuit, a reservoir oi. cooling fluid disposed laterally oi and in fluid-conducting communication with the cooling circuit. and means for venting the system at the coldest portion thereof.

14. The method of cooling an internal combustion engine provided with a jacket which comprises creating a cooling circuit for a cooling fluid through such jacket, establishing a reser- 5 voir of the cooling fluid in fluid communication with such circuit, and maintaining the fluid in such reservoir at a temperature much lower than the operating temperature 'of the fluid in such circuit.

15. The method of cooling an internal combustion engine provided with a jacket which comprises creating a cooling circuit for a cooling fluid through such jacket, establishing a reservoir of the cooling fluid in fluid communication with such circuit, maintaining the fluid in such reservoir at a temperature much lower than the operating temperature of the fluid in such circuit, and venting the cooling system at the coldest portion thereof.

16. The method of cooling an internal combustion engine provided with a jacketwhich comprises creating a cooling circuit for a cooling fluid through such jacket, establishing a reservoir of the cooling fluid, maintaining the fluid in such reservoir at a temperature much lower than the operating temperature of the fluid in such circuit, and conducting vapors from such circuit to such reservoir for condensation by such low temperature.

17 The method of cooling an internal combustion engine provided with a jacket which comprises creating a cooling circuit for a cooling fluid through such jacket, establishing a reservoir of the cooling fluid, maintaining the fluid in such 85 reservoir at a temperature much lower than the operating temperature of the fluid in such circuit, conducting vapors from such circuit to such reservoir for condensation by such low temperature, and returning the condensed vapors to such wmmo rou w. Mum. 

